


Mating Season

by Dagny_Fischer



Series: Four Seasons [1]
Category: Maleficent (2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 11:06:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13409955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dagny_Fischer/pseuds/Dagny_Fischer
Summary: Being the only of her race, Maleficent can't stand Spring and all its mating rituals. Diaval must help her.





	Mating Season

It was Spring again, and Maleficent hated it with all her soul. Leaves sprouting, flowers blooming, trolls playing in the mud, tree-guardians blooming, birds chirping, pixies blooming… Couldn’t they at least be less obvious about what they were doing?  
Being the only fae in the land had too high a price, and it was not an option if she was willing to pay it or not. Spring was a cruel reminder of her loneliness, and not even her newly recovered wings could placate the hurt it inflicted on her.  
Aurora would always welcome her at the castle, but the beastie was so in love with that prince of hers that it was almost worse than blooming dryads. So, to strategically retreat to that human dwelling was not an option.  
The ruins she inhabited in the Forbidden Mountains could be an option, if it were not so full of memories of her hatred days after Stephan betrayed her. Correction: hatred years.  
And her own nest was constantly surrounded by tiny little flying beings absorbed in ritual mating flights. Mating rituals! She was sick of it.  
“Diaval!” She hoped her shout could be heard over the hum of the bees, of the bumblebees, of the hummingbirds and… “Diaval, you annoying crow, I’m calling you!”  
A caw answered instantly, and Maleficent saw his figure shot down from a flock of other ravens who were circling the Moors lately. She decided to put the whole flock in her list of hated things about Spring.  
“Hey!” He complained right after shifting into man in front of her. “I’m not a stupid crow, my beautiful self is a raven!”  
Maleficent was tempted to reconsider her gift of free-will shape-shifting so she could close his mouth once in a while, but a small part of her knew she needed his petulance to keep her sane. She looked straight at him and ignored his complaint.  
“I need a place to stay.”  
Diaval considered her for a moment and diverted his eyes.  
“But you have a place to stay, mistress. I built the nest with my own calloused hands, if I remember correctly.”  
“Yes, but…”  
“I made it with the best branches I could find, used smooth twigs to make the borders comfortable to perch on, secured the inner layer with mud and moss…” Maleficent heard his rambling, intrigued, and he looked back at her, visibly hurt. “I even lined it with shed fur! Do you know how far I flew to gather all this fur?”  
“I didn’t ask you to line it with fur.” She defended herself.  
“You didn’t ask…” He gaped at her for a moment, seemingly annoyed. “Build it as you want, Diaval, I know you’ll do your best, she said. Don’t have any haste, Diaval, just make sure it’s well made.” Quoth the raven.  
“Diaval, what’s…”  
“What’s. Wrong. With. This. Nest?” He punctuated each word pointing to said nest under their feet.  
“Nothing!” The fae had to admit. The only problem was her own discomfort about the thrice-damned season. Diaval was so angry she capitulated. The problem was hers, and his complaints were legitimate. “Nothing…” She repeated in a quieter voice, turning to stare at the horizon. “The nest is perfect.”  
“So…” He looked at her with hopeful eyes. “Is it acceptable? You accept the nest I made for you?”  
“Yes, Diaval, I accept the nest you made. Sorry for importuning you.”  
“Sor... Sorry?” He sounded surprised.  
“Yes, sorry, Diaval, don’t you know what the word means?”  
She was irritated now, the state he was most used to her, so he knew she was ok.  
“I… You’re welcome.”  
“Welcome?” It was her time to sound surprised.  
“Yes, welcome to importunate me. No, wait. I mean…”  
The fae heaved a sigh.  
“Diaval…”  
“Mistress?”  
She sighed again, tired.  
“I already asked you not to call me that. You’re not my servant anymore.”  
He mumbled something inaudible and she complained.  
“Caw a little louder, will you?”  
“There’s more than one reason someone calls a lady his mistress.”  
She was out of patience for riddles.  
“Enlighten me.” He was taking in a deep breath and she changed her mind. “No, forget it, I don’t want to know. I just… I just need a place elsewhere to stay, to stay away from… all this.”  
She weaved her hand in an encompassing gesture, which Diaval misunderstood, obviously.  
“The Moors? You want to be away from the people you’re a guardian to?”  
“No, birdie, not the Moors, just… just… this!”  
A band of pixies flew nearby, spreading giggles and flower petals all around in their rush.  
“The pixies? I’m not very fond of them either, but…”  
Maleficent facepalmed.  
“Forget it. I just need… Whatever. It won’t last forever. I’ll survive one more time.”  
Diaval looked at her, worried.  
“I don’t understand, mistress, but allow me to help, if I’m so bold. Is there anything you crave? Anything you fancy that could make you feel better?”  
The raven’s sincere concern made her feel guilty for a moment. No, she didn’t think there was anything that could make her feel better unless Spring was over, and not even her magic could do such a thing. She thought of something, even if only to make him feel better for being helpful to her.  
“Blueberries…” His face lightened at her request. “Blueberries would make me feel less miserable, I deem.”  
They would not, she knew, but at least her pretty bird would be busy for a while and let her to her own misery.  
“I’ll fetch them, mistress. Don’t fly away while I’m on this errand!”  
Maleficent watched him shift to raven and fly south, his beautiful black feathers rustling in the wind the only thing to bring a smile to her lips.  
000ooo000  
It was very past midday when Diaval came back, bringing a nice basket of blueberries, a honeycomb and a canteen of water. Maleficent was taking a nap in her favourite spot of the nest, dark hair spread on the pillow and cotton bolls in her ears. He deposited the food beside her and gently, tentatively, stroked a strand of hair out of her face.  
“Maleficent… mistress…”  
She opened her eyes a slit and moaned.  
“Is Spring over?”  
“No, mistress, not yet.”  
“Argh…”  
She closed her eyes again, only to feel a soft touch to her lips, to what she went full awake in a second.  
“What’s this?”  
Diaval looked alarmed by his own boldness, a finger dropping honey the proof of his guilt.  
“I intended to sweeten your day, mistress.”  
She licked her lip and smiled at the taste.  
“Thank you, birdie! How inventive of you.”  
He took a blueberry and presented it, speaking low.  
“Blueberries?”  
“What?”  
She took the cotton bolls from her ears and he offered again.  
“Do you accept blueberries?”  
She only nodded, too lazy from the nap to sit up, and he put the tiny fruits in her mouth, one by one.  
“Hmmm… I could get used to this…”  
“So…”  
Whatever ‘so’ Diaval was to say was cut short by a flock of sylphs spiraling the old oak trunk and scattering glitter-dust all around before flying away with loud chattering. That was more than enough to break the mood and make Maleficent to sit up and ruffle her wings, annoyed.  
“All… all this buzz, all this blossoming, argh! Why does everybody have to spend Spring being so… tawdry!”  
“But Maleficent, it’s Spring!” Diaval sounded thrilled by the idea. “It’s mating season, all life form is… alive. Don’t you…” He was tentative now. “Don’t you feel it too?”  
“Argh!” She humphed in disgust. “Only too much!”  
“Then why don’t you… enjoy the season?”  
“What is there for me to enjoy, Diaval? Everybody is… busy… noisy… jumpy…hectic…”  
“Nah!” He laughed. “They’re just mating! It’s mating season, you know. Everybody is mating.”  
She noticed his eyes longing for the sky, and his smile was really something entertaining to her, so used to her own frown as she was. Then she frowned, as usual.  
“Not everybody. You are not mating.”  
Her observation made his smile to fade, for her disappointment.  
“No, I’m not.”  
“Why?”  
He glanced at her, almost shy.  
“I’m at your service, mistress.”  
“Stop this mistress thing, and I told you already you’re my servant no more! Now, why are you not out there, with that flock of ravens I saw earlier? Don’t they draw your attention?”  
This made him to laugh again.  
“That ones? Hah! They’re barely more than hatchlings, I was only showing them around so they wouldn’t fly anywhere dangerous, you know what I mean. I couldn’t mate one of them more than I could mate Aurora, if you take my meaning. Actually, Aurora is kind of a hatchling for me. I would not complain of having a hatchling like her around.”  
His words made her recall how his eyes smiled when Aurora was around, all the care he lavished on the little bestie. How her own pain made her act unfairly on the ones who only deserved the best!  
She looked at him, all sadness she spread around in the past coming back at her full force. Her face showed it, and Diaval was no fool. A twitch of his fingers and golden magic changed him into his natural form of a raven, who flew to her shoulder and leaned onto her face in a bird caress. Maleficent scratched his neck like she did so many times in past years, always when he was in his raven form, treating him as a pet, not as a person. How many times did she disconsider his feelings? Even if he was a raven, all the constant shapeshifting turned him in something else, and she disregarded every aspect of this truth until now.  
“You should be out there, flying with your equals, not wasting time in my company. Go away.”  
He shifted back to his man shape, and indignant pout on his face.  
“What are you implying, mistress, that my beautiful self is equal to any ordinary raven? Have I not proven myself worthy?”  
She knew not how to handle his outburst and her own guilt, and buried her head under the pillow.  
“It’s not like this, just… Go… go… find a mate…”  
His eyes darkened, as if possible.  
“I’m at your service, mistress.”  
“I told you already, you’re not my servant anymore, Diaval, you’re free to go! Go wherever you wish to! Go find a mate!”  
“I’m free to go, you say. But am I free to stay?”  
“What?” She whispered from under her pillow.  
“Am I free to stay here, if that’s what I wish?”  
She left the protection of the pillow to stare at him.  
“And why would you wish to stay here?”  
“I’m at your service, Maleficent. Don’t you understand? Here is where I want to be. Here, with you.”  
“But as you yourself said, everybody is mating and...”  
“…And here is where I wish to be.” He picked something form his pocket and offered it, opening his hand and bringing it close to her. “Blueberries?”  
“Blue… Diaval, why are you offering me blueberries in the middle of an argument?” She was out of herself with confusion. “You brought blueberries, we had blueberries already, why…  
“Didn’t you like them?” He asked, a frown forming on his brow and saddened eyes. “I thought you accepted the blueberries I brought.”  
“Of course I accepted them, silly bird! I just don’t understand why you’re bringing blueberries up again when we’re discussing where you wish to be!”  
“I wish to be here, sharing blueberries with you. Isn’t it clear?”  
She picked a berry and put it in her mouth, shaking her head. Almost twenty years and she couldn’t fathom what went through that raven’s head. He ate one berry too, looking at her as if expecting something to happen. It put her on alert.  
“Diaval…”  
“Yes, mistress?”  
She sighed, deciding she was too tired to argue about the title again that day.  
“What is it with the blueberries?”  
“Ah… erm…”  
He looked nervously down at his outstretched hand, and she followed the gaze. In the middle of his palm, surrounded by blueberries, was a tiny turquoise gem. Maleficent could be cold and scary sometimes, but she was no fool not to recognize beauty when she saw it.  
“Diaval, this… this is beautiful…” A suspicion crept into her mind. “Where did you find it? Not from the pool of jewels, I get?”  
“What? No! I would never…” The raven hurried to explain himself. “I had a… little help from Aurora… she said she had enough of this kind of tiny trinkets and it would have better use…”  
“Better use…?” She was intrigued. “Which better use, Diaval? What is this jewel of yours?”  
“It’s…” He was visibly nervous now, carding his hair with the hand not holding the berries and the gem. “It’s a gift for you.”  
“For me?”  
“Yes, for you! Do you… do you like it? Do you accept it?”  
His anxiousness made her laugh. Only Diaval to be that nervous about having a gift accepted. But then, he was a raven and ravens were fond of shiny things. She shook her head and took the gem in her fingers.  
“Of course I accept your gem, silly birdie! Why would I not?”  
He heaved a sigh of relief.  
“Because it is the third gift…”  
“Third gift…?”  
It struck her like lightning.  
Mating rituals.  
Gifts.  
Ravens gave gifts to their intended in their…  
She couldn’t restrain a laugher, full hearted laughter at the absurdity of it all.  
“Diaval, are you trying to court me?” More laughter. He blushed. “Bringing me gifts of food and trinkets?”  
“Mistress, I…”  
“As if I were a raven? Really? Do I look like a raven, Diaval?”  
“No, mistress, you…” Something in his voice made her laughter drop to only a chuckle. She wanted to hear what the downcast eyed raven had to say. “Your beautiful self is far more beautiful than any raven I ever met.”  
Beautiful.  
He just called her ‘beautiful’.  
She was used to think of herself as strong, imposing, terrific… But not ‘beautiful’.  
Her laughter silenced.  
“Diaval, my handsome bird… What on earth made you consider … this?”  
She showed the turquoise in her hand, but the meaning was more comprising.  
“You… you asked for the first gift, mistress… Amongst ravens, it’s a sign that one may,  
you know…”  
“Start courting?”  
“Start courting.”  
Maleficent shook her head, incredulous.  
“I can’t, for the love of goodness, recall when I did ask for such a thing.”  
“But you did! You did and I made it with all my heart and all my care and…” He turned his back to her and slapped his hands angrily on the border of the nest, staining it with blueberries’ juice. He couldn’t look up at her, not after all that laughter. “And you accepted it. I made sure you accepted it before taking the next step. It was not my imagination, you accepted the gift.”  
Maleficent was perplexed. One step forward, and she touched Diaval’s hair with feather-light fingers. Her voice was a whisper now.  
“What did I ask and what did I accept, birdie? Enlighten me. I want to understand.”  
He gulped.  
“The nest. You asked for a nest. Why does someone ask for a nest if not…”  
Then she understood.  
She was so used to having Diaval do and make everything she needed that it was only natural to have him making a nest, now that she was able to fly and could be back to dwelling atop a tree.  
“That’s why… that’s why you looked so excited while making it… and bothered me for every detail… Diaval…”  
His voice trembled when he explained what, in his mind, should never need an explanation.  
“You asked for a nest and I believed you really wanted one. Made by me.”  
“Oh, Diaval…”  
To say her mind was in turmoil would be an understatement. She spent so many years hating that she went blind to what love really meant. But now, as she was made aware of it, it was only obvious.  
Servant Diaval obeyed her, grumbled at her demands, exasperated her with his self-pity alternated with his vanity.  
True Diaval enjoyed making her happy, chatted at her demands to distract her from her anguish, was gamesome and full of self-esteem.  
How could she have been so blind?  
“For how long, Diaval?”  
“I don’t know. When I noticed, it was already there. But it’s been… a long time.”  
“And you waited.”  
“I waited. I waited until you freed me from my vow, so you wouldn’t think anything I’d do would be out of servitude and not because you’re the mistress of my heart. I waited until you asked me for the first gift, so you wouldn’t deem me too bold.”  
“You didn’t know your vow would ever be fulfilled or if I would ever ask you for a gift. What would you do if these things didn’t happen?”  
“I’d wait more.”  
Truth to be said, she knew Diaval was tenacious, not to say obstinate and simply stubborn. But this put things under other perspective.  
She waited for sixteen years for a revenge she was sure to achieve, yet her loyal raven waited – how many years? – for the reciprocation of a feeling he wasn’t even sure would happen.  
Maleficent heaved a sigh and mustered courage to take a step forward, carding his black hair with her fingers and making him to look at her. The breakthrough of her own feelings, now that Diaval broke the dam, made her dizzy. If what she felt for Aurora was true love, what was this feeling for Diaval, now she knew it was allowed? She didn’t want to give hope where there could be only pain, but needed to somehow make him understand.  
“Wait no more.”  
Their lips brushed briefly, end she felt him tremble at the touch. The glint in his eyes spoke of understanding and hope.  
“Diaval… I’m a fae, not a raven or a woman. There would be no hatchlings, do you understand?”  
His eyes anchored in hers and his blueberry stained fingers reached for her face, stopping inches from staining her lips. A wide smile graced his face, because worrying about having or not having hatchlings only made sense if Maleficent wanted to share a nest with him.  
“This would not be a problem, would it? We raised one hatchling already. Adoption is always an option.”  
“I don’t know if I’d be able… Aurora was different…”  
“Doesn’t matter, mistress. You don’t need to be the only fae in this nest, anyway.”  
“What?” She frowned, confused.  
A twitch of his fingers and she expected the golden magic to change him into whatever creature she’d already seen him, but no. His size remained the same, his hair and black clothes too, but from his head a pair of horns sprouted and from his back majestic black wings took shape.  
“What?” She repeated, even more confused.  
“Free-will shape-shifting, remember? You gave me this gift when you released me from my vow.”  
“I gave you… a gift…”  
“And I gave you three.” He dropped his gaze, shy of his own boldness. “Of course none of them as magnificent and useful as the one you gave me, but…”  
“Diaval.”  
“Yes, mistress?”  
“Stop rambling and kiss me!”


End file.
